Whether they refer to it as a “statement of purpose”, “personal statement”, or “application essay”, colleges and graduate schools will nearly always require you to write about the reasons you wish to continue your education. What’s equally important is that each school wants to know why you chose its particular program. How you present yourself in your personal statement is the core component of your application’s subjective factors–the non quantifiable aspects of your application that also include letters of recommendation, work experience, extracurricular activities, and the reputation of schools you’ve attended.

No matter where you are in your educational ambitions, there is no better time than now to start drafting your personal statement. For one thing, a thoughtful, unique, polished, and persuasive essay demands considerable time and effort. For another, thinking and writing about the reasons you want to pursue more schooling can help you clarify what your goals really are. As you go through such a process, you’ll become more focused, something that will shine through in your essay–and make you more appealing to admissions officers.

Show Them What You Have to Offer.

One thing that you’ll need to communicate in your application essay is what you’ll bring to the program to which you’re applying. Admissions officers seek goal-directed candidates who will offer something of value to their programs and, ultimately, their schools’ reputations. The higher the quality of their students, the more likely their graduates will go on to achieve great things. Eventually, the schools’ rankings go up, and everyone wants to attend.

Let’s Get Started.

To begin drafting your personal statement, you will need to delve into three important areas:

• Your accomplishments
• The skills and traits that enabled you to achieve those accomplishments
• Your specific goals for your education and career (i.e., what you intend to do with your future academic credentials)

So, what qualifies as a worthy accomplishment? At this point in the process, you’re in brainstorming mode, which means that you want to avoid censoring your thoughts. Just grab a sheet a paper and begin listing noteworthy things you’ve done. Were you ever a group, team, or organizational leader? Jot it down. What kind of extracurricular or community activities did you participate in? Were there any proud moments for you with regard to those things? Add them to your list.

Think over your family, school, community, personal, and professional experience. Liberally list anything that had you taking initiative, conquering a fear, offering comfort, solving a problem, or developing an idea. Go ahead and fill the page. You won’t be writing about everything that you’re listing, so don’t worry about having too much material. Your goal at this point is to make sure that you’re not overlooking or downplaying anything noteworthy that you’ve accomplished.

Handling Challenges

With regard to your skills and traits, grab another sheet of paper, look back upon your list of accomplishments, and consider any obstacles you overcame. What specific disciplinary skills and character traits did those experiences require or help you develop? Even if something you did fell short of your expectations, play up the positive. Rather than cast an experience in a negative light, focus on the character traits that the situation brought out or fostered. Think about how you grew, how you became stronger.

Know Your Strengths.

Consider behaviors that are universal in concept but unique to you. Do you have focus, drive, and/or the ability to prioritize? Are you a fast learner? Do you thrive in uncertainty? Are you a critical thinker? Do you regularly set and work toward goals? Are you organized? Do you inspire or motivate others? Are you a good negotiator or mediator? Do you delegate tasks well? Are you a creative problem-solver? Do you write or speak particularly well? Do you have strong artistic or mechanical abilities? There are many positive traits to consider; you may want to jot those things down with the help of a friend or family member.

Keep in mind that most schools are looking for self-motivated candidates who can effectively handle resources, projects, and people. So, think about the specific skills and traits you demonstrated in achieving your past goals, because you’re going to use those things as evidence of your future ability to succeed. As you consider all that, try to find a common thread or theme for your essay. Do you notice any patterns with regard to your accomplishments and the traits you demonstrated in achieving them?

What Do You Want to Do With Your Life?

That leads you to your current goals, both for school and your career. On a third sheet of paper, consider what you’ll bring to the specific program to which you’re applying. How will the business world, scientific community, medical profession, or educational system benefit from what you will do when you graduate? What traits and skills that you demonstrated via your past accomplishments will you put toward reaching your academic and career goals?

Ultimately, you want to narrow your focus to one or two specific goals. Your focus should be something you can tie into your past experience, something that works with the overall theme of your essay. Did your earliest work experience give you a sense of empathy that you intend to use to help others who may occasionally feel overwhelmed? Do you thrive on uncertainty?

Beyond Yourself

As you draft your essay, don’t merely articulate your desire to advance your career or achieve a high position. Emphasize ambitions that reach beyond personal rewards. Discuss your plans in terms of how others will benefit, particularly the specific graduate program you’re applying to, your future employers and clients, and the scientific or business community.

Be warned, however, that writing a personal statement can be a labor-intensive, time-consuming task. It’s never too soon to begin. And it’s always a good idea to get help, even if that simply amounts to a second pair of eyes to check for errors, inconsistencies, or ambiguities. You may even decide to seek professional assistance for your application essay. In any case, don’t be tempted to submit a lackluster statement. Saving a few hours or dollars now could cost you tens of thousands later if you don’t get into the right graduate program.

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